3.5 ⭐

North is the Night was a good read, but I fear it may not have been for me. I really liked our characters, once the POV's split I did find myself favoring one story over the other so it was hard to stay engaged. It is pitched as a sapphic book but I just didn't find that in this book. I don't want to go into too much details since I would land in spoiler territory. I think there may have been too much happening for everything to really flow well together.

The writing is good and the idea was great I just wanted more.

3.25 stars

I have mixed feelings about North is the Night. Some parts were interesting but others were very underdeveloped and a bit of a mess. I thought it was a sapphic story but think the female relationship was too vague and steeped more in friendship to be considered sapphic. There was more romantic tension between the FMC and the male death god.

It was also a little long and drawn out, but the actual writing wasn't bad.

This was such a surprising novel to read by Emily Rath. This was the first novel I read by her. I listened to the arc audio of, North is The Night. Let me tell you, I Looved the two narrators in this book! 📕 They both were phenomenal in the way they brought out Aina and Siiri. The narrators brought two bold women in this raven allegorical novel. The book is full of Finnish-folklore inspired creativity. This book is a dual POV and they brought out the characters famously.
I went into this book, blank, and I absolutely thought that this book was amazing!🤩 I think it was her first fantasy book and if it is?? She did such a great job! It left me wanting to read more and I even bought the book after I listened to the book. I was so impressed with the story and how well rounded the whole story, characters and plot.
I am soo excited for book 2 of North is the Night! I look forward to see what happens next!

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I think this book will be enjoyed by people who enjoy Emily Rath's romance novels and are interested in her take on romantasy. But I think fantasy or more experience romatasy readers will be disappointed. Since this is based on Finnish mythology, I expected it to be fresh and unique. But unfortunately it falls flat. There is little to no world building. There is very little sense of setting. And I think it makes sense that the author mainly writes contemporary romance, where you don't need to build out a world from your readers' imaginations.

The story follows a young woman who travels North to try and save her best friend (who she is also in love with but does not seem to love her back). But we did not see enough of the relationship before they are separated to really care about the quest. I actually think this would have been better as the second book in a trilogy where in the first book the world and relationship could have been built out. We could have seen examples about how the world is falling apart to set the stakes for everything that happens in this book. But without that, this book feels rushed/ does not have the emotional depth to match the stakes.

I do not know much about Finnish culture or history. But other reviewers have flagged issues with the depiction of the Sámi (indigenous peoples in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia). I've also heard from others that are more familiar with Finnish that the pronunciation of some of the Finnish words was incorrect, which is disappointing if true.

Editing to add that I don't understand why this is tagged/marketed as adult. It feels very YA in both the writing style and in the characters' maturity levels. The two main characters are young women going on the classic "coming of age" and "leaving home for the first time" adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an eARC of this book.

North is the Night is the first in a new fantasy duology which follows Siiri and Aina as they navigate the underworld, Tuonela. Aina is taken to the underworld by a death godess, and Siiri is not willing to just let her go. What follows is the story of each woman trying to survive to see each other another day.

I was initially interested in this book because it was based on Finnish lore, which is not something I have come across before. My family is Icelandic so I am always looking out for Scandinavian-based books. If anyone else is looking for a different type of lore story, I would recommend this book! I think the author handles the topic well and I could tell the care and research that went into everything.

This is likely my fault as I have read other books from Rath and thought this one would be somewhat similar in terms of having a larger romance plot. I was a bit disappointed when there was hardly any on-page romance as Siiri and Aina were not together for most of the story. It also felt like the story was dragged for a while, and I feel as though I would not have been able to finish if this was not an audiobook. While I am glad I finished the book and will be reading the next one, I hope that the overall story picks up a bit more.

In terms of the audiobook quality, I enjoyed it overall. However, there were a few times when the audio had strangely long pauses, specifically in the beginning. The narrators themselves did a good job and I would definitely listen to them again!

north is the night is the first book in a fantasy duology inspired by finnish folklore. throughout the book we follow Siiri and Aina, who are best friends.
Siiri has always protected Aina from danger but one evening, the death goddess drags Aina to Tuonela, the underworld. Siiri decides to go after Aina to free her, but in order to find her way to Tuonela, she first has to find the greatest shaman of legend, the only person who has ever entered the underworld and came back alive. thus, we follow Siiri as she ventures north to find this shaman who she hopes will help find her way back to her best friend Aina.
whereas Aina is stuck in the underworld and the Witch Queen decides to make her life a living hell and she is desperate to find a way out. she soon learns that the king of the underworld has plans for her and in order for her to return home, she must bargain her heart.

i loved the dual pov as we got to see Siiri's journey to find a way to free her best friend, whilst we saw what was actually going on with Aina as she tries to find a way to free herself. this also allowed us to get world building in both realms, as well as getting more in depth finnish folklore, which i found so interesting as i don't really have much knowledge around it. i loved the fantasy aspect and the magical animals that were introduced so much.
also, my favourite thing was the strong bond between Siiri and Aina,

i think my only problem with it was that it was too long and sometimes it felt like it dragged on to get to the point, but other than that, i had a great time with it!

thank you so much RBmedia and netgalley for the audiobook! i think the narrators did a stunning job and it was so easy to follow and get immersed into the story!

Thank you RBDigital for the free audiobook.

4.5 stars. I loved North is the Night by Emily Rath. Drenched in Finnish folklore, this dark fantasy is textured and atmospheric and utterly enchanting. Best friends Sirii and Aina live in a small Finnish village, but they are rudely separated when a death goddess steals Aina away to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Sirii sets out northward to find a legendary shaman—hoping with his help and the help of the old gods she can bring Aina, the other half of her heart, back to the land of the living.

The folklore elements were so interesting, and I was fascinated by the interplay between the old Finnish gods and the introduction of Christianity by the Swedes. Rath created a rich world, full of complex characters, and the two narrators—Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence—did a wonderful job bringing these different characters to life.

I was expecting a romantasy, given the romances Rath usually writes, but this was much more a
standard fantasy story, with romantic elements, but very little “steam.” Regardless, I loved it. The plot twists kept me guessing, and the ending was satisfying.

*3 stars*

This book fell flat for me. It was far too long for how one dimensional the characters felt and how bland the world building was. I feel like the book could have achieved the same end in half the length. By the time I was halfway through the book I was ready for it to be over. I think the premise was really interesting and could have been amazing. This was apparently miss-marketed as queer and that was also confusing because it is? I don’t think I’ll be picking up the sequel.

The narration of the audiobook however, was good. Friates and Lawrence did a great job. They fit the narrative well and were distinguishable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

I loved the idea of this story- I am a fan of the Viking age and found the concept to be interesting. It just didn’t hold my interest for long and I ultimately didn’t finish listening to this story. It may have been better for me to physically read while listening.

Thank you so much to RB Books for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Overall I enjoyed the audio. There were some parts where the audio got very quiet for no reason. Both voice actors did an amazing job portraying their characters and having the story come to life.

I was a little daunted by this book. Between the size and the new to me Finnish lore. This did not come across to me as a sapphic story. Only one character seemed to be “in love” where the other just loved. There were a lot of complicated parts, people, and storylines to keep track of and I really liked learning more about Finnish lore.

I love Emily’s hockey romances but this just fell flat for me. It also was not what was marketed and I couldn’t let that go throughout the story. Overall I think it’s well written but I wouldn’t reach for it again.

I really loved listening to this book! It was full of adventure and the Finnish mythology completely captivated me!

When best friends Siiri and Aina are together, Aina is kidnapped and taken to Tuonela, the Finnish Underworld. Now, it is up to Siiri to seek the help of a shaman so she can go to Tuonela and save Aina. The story is told in dual POV and brings readers along on Siiri’s epic journey and Aina’s experiences as a human among witches, gods, and creatures in the Underworld.

The book was narrated by Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence. I thought both of them did an incredible job portraying these bold women. I especially felt their longing for each other and I loved how AIne’s voice changed as she evolved throughout the story. Both of these characters went through incredible transformations. The only thing that never wavered was their love for each other.

I really loved Aina’s character development. Her rise to power was inspiring in the wake of everything she had to overcome. I loved learning about all who dwell in the Underworld and their relationships to each other. So much happens in this book and the story was very fast paced. I enjoyed it so much!

North Is the Night is the first book in the The Tuonela Duet. The story was absolutely epic, and I can’t wait to see what happens to Siiri and Aina in the next book!
4.5/5 stars

I loved the friendship aspect to this book but am so curious where book 2 will go. For a series, it wrapped up nicely

This is a. classic case of when a writer goes off script. Emily Rath writes really fun hocky romances and her dip into romantasy did not land. This story had several issues. It felt like it couldnt decide what it wanted it to be and so it felt like it had everything but also nothing. It was very confusing as a reader and not enjoyable.

While the audiobook was exceptionally done, I unfortunately ended up DNFing at 57.5%. In this case, my reason for DNFing is personal and not reflective of the book itself. The atmosphere of the book was perfect for the winter season. That said, I felt the story needed to be tightened up a bit as it felt particularly slow-moving and I simply kept forgetting I was reading it. As a mood reader, I must recognize if the fault is of the book or of my moods. And in this case, it is my mood. This pacing and atmosphere will be enjoyed most by readers who enjoy wintery slow-moving atmospheric folklore settings.

I listened to this as an audio ARC provided by netgalley.

As a lover of mythology books I am slightly disappointed in this. I have read other Finnish mythology and found them and the characters much easier to follow. There was so much going on in this book and at times it also felt like nothing.

I enjoy Emily Rath's other books and think the writing style in this reflects the others but it lacks the spark of her romance novels.

This is by no means a bad book but for me it was average. It felt too long with a storyline that was all constantly jumping from one thing to the next. I didn't feel connected to the characters, just as you were getting to know one you were pulled to the other storyline and the illusion broken.

This book was just okay for me. First off, I listened to this book in audiobook and I thought both narrators were wonderful. I did love having both Siiri and Alina's journeys in this story. I absolutely loved the premise of the book. There was a lot going on. I thought the writing was top notch and there was lots of good conflict. For some reason, I really struggled through the middle to keep going. There were a lot of twists and turns. Maybe there was too much going on? I"m not sure. The book was really long and I had to fight to keep going to the end. I really struggled to care about these two characters. I"m hoping the next book will bring it all together. Huge thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book. .

I absolutely adore Emily Rath’s hockey romances and I was beyond excited for her first fantasy book and North Is The Night is just amazing. Needless to say, this is a new favorite book and my first five-star-read of 2025.
 
North is the Night is the first book in the Tuonela and we follow Siiri and Aina. These two women are friends and grew up in the same Finnish village and their lives take a different turn when Aina disappears into the mythical underworld Tuonela. We then get to see their journey of finding each other again and these two are so strong and just stunning together and they’re some of my new favorite female characters.
 
I absolutely loved how Finnish mythology was interwoven beautifully into this story and the way Tuonela was shown was so cool. It was so dark and eerie, and I loved meeting all the gods and goddesses. Aina becomes so much stronger, and I loved seeing her relationship with the god of death Tuoni. And another person I loved was Loviatar.
 
Siiri goes a different way, and she encounters a bear and that leads to so much more. She gives everything to find Aina again and to protect her family and she is so fierce. Her development in this book was stunning as well and she learns the workings of a shaman and I adored Väinämöinen as well.
 
This book is such a powerful story and I loved following Siiri and Aina from the first to the last page. It’s action-packed, romantic, and simply marvelous. The romance is not the focus of this book and I liked that, and the characters were destined for something bigger and I’m already beyond excited how it continues in the next book. I listened to the audio which was fantastic and helped me perfectly with the names. Don’t be discouraged by that and the more you learn about Finnish mythology, the more you’ll love it.
 
Emily Rath has once again shown why she’s one of my favorite authors and I’m beyond obsessed with this book and more than highly recommend it. 5+ stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for this gifted audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

The plot line was split between two characters, Aina and Siiri. I found myself much more interested in Aina’s storyline and a little bored with Siiri’s. To the point that I wanted to DNF pretty much every time it was her POV. Aina saved the book for me.

The world building had good pacing, I didn’t feel like it was too complicated to follow, but it was complex enough to have me curious.

While keeping in mind that this book is Finnish folklore inspired and I do want to be respectful of that, the character names were a bit difficult to remember and there were a lot of them. I think a smaller cast list may have been easier to follow. Also, this could have strictly been an audiobook problem. It may be easier when read through text.

I did feel a little confused because I follow the author and I believe this was advertised as sapphic, but that really wasn’t an accurate representation.

Overall, reading this after her hockey romance is quite the mind trip. It feels like totally different authors! I’m really impressed with her fantasy world building.


Narration was really good! I enjoyed both narrators and felt they did a fantastic job.

Unfortunately I was a tad disappointed with this one, it was marketed to me as a sapphic book and that element felt like a throwaway after thought at the end of the book?

The Finnish folklore was interesting to me and I like what the author did with it.

I just feel a bit let down as it wasn’t the book it was marketed as…